bicolored striped sweat bee

(Agapostemon virescens)

Conservation Status
bicolored striped sweat bee
Photo by Alfredo Colon
  IUCN Red List

not listed

 
  NatureServe

NNR - Unranked

 
  Minnesota

not listed

 
           
           
           
 
Description
 
 

The head and thorax are bluish-green. The male abdomen is black with yellow bands. The female abdomen is black with white bands.

 
     
 

Size

 
 

Total length: to 7 16

 
     
 

Similar Species

 
 

Bicolored striped sweat bee is the only Agapostemon in which the female also has a striped abdomen.

Silky agapostemon (Agapostemon sericeus) female abdomen is similar to the thorax, bright metalic green to bluish-green, not banded.

 
     
 
Habitat
 
 

 

 
     
 
Biology
 
 

Season

 
 

April to October

 
     
 

Behavior

 
 

 

 
     
 

Life Cycle

 
 

 

 
     
 

Larva Food

 
 

 

 
     
 

Adult Food

 
 

 

 
     
 
Distribution
 
 

Distribution Map

 

Sources

4, 7, 24, 27, 29, 30, 82.

 
  10/27/2022      
         
 

Occurrence

 
 

Common

 
         
 
Taxonomy
 
 

Order

Hymenoptera (ants, bees, wasps, and sawflies)  
 

Suborder

Apocrita (narrow-waisted wasps, ants, and bees)  
 

Infraorder

Aculeata (ants, bees, and stinging wasps)  
 

Superfamily

Apoidea (bees and apoid wasps)  
  Epifamily Anthophila (bees)  
 

Family

Halictidae (sweat bees)  
 

Subfamily

Halictinae (sweat and furrow bees)  
 

Tribe

Halictini  
 

Genus

Agapostemon (striped sweat bees)  
  Subgenus Agapostemon  
       
 

Synonyms

 
 

 

 
       
 

Common Names

 
 

bicolored striped sweat bee

metallic green bee

sweat bee

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
Visitor Photos
 
           
 

Share your photo of this insect.

 
  This button not working for you?
Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com.
Attach one or more photos and, if you like, a caption.
 
 

Alfredo Colon

 
    bicolored striped sweat bee   bicolored striped sweat bee  
           
 

Very iridescent !

 
    bicolored striped sweat bee      
 

Dan W. Andree

 
 

I think it is a Bicolored Sweat Bee...

it was on a prairie flower in Norman Co. Mn. early July 2021

  bicolored striped sweat bee  
 

Margot Avey

 
    bicolored striped sweat bee      
 

Evan Holmes

 
 

Metallic green bee

Saw the metallic green bee on flowers in my front yard. On the right side in this photo.

  bicolored striped sweat bee  
 

Sheryl Q

 
  Have several of these bees every year in my gardens. I think they are beautiful. There were three on one plant! Notice the heavy load of pollen on the rear legs.   bicolored striped sweat bee  
           
    bicolored striped sweat bee   bicolored striped sweat bee  
           
    bicolored striped sweat bee      
 

Justice Landscaping

 
  Found this odd looking nest appear overnight in my boulder garden. I saw something inside and decided to video it to see what it was. I've never seen this type of bee...it's beautiful.   bicolored striped sweat bee  
 

Becca

 
  I've never seen a bee like this before but there have been a lot in my gardens this year. They really seem to like clover flowers and primroses.   bicolored striped sweat bee  
           
 
MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos
 
    bicolored striped sweat bee   bicolored striped sweat bee  
           
    bicolored striped sweat bee   bicolored striped sweat bee  

 

Camera

     
 
Slideshows
 
 
     
     

 

slideshow

       
 
Visitor Videos
 
       
 

Share your video of this insect.

 
  This button not working for you?
Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com.
Attach a video, a YouTube link, or a cloud storage link.
 
 

 

 
     
     
       
       
 
Other Videos
 
  bicolored striped sweat bee (Agapostemon sp.)
Andrew Baita
 
   
 
About

Uploaded on Sep 16, 2010

a green bee shot with canon t1i and 100mm macro lens at HD 720p 30fps

 

 

Camcorder

 
 
Visitor Sightings
 
           
 

Report a sighting of this insect.

 
  This button not working for you?
Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com.
Be sure to include a location.
 
  Dan W. Andree
Early July 2021

Location: Norman Co. Mn.

it was on a prairie flower in Norman Co. Mn. early July 2021

bicolored striped sweat bee  
  Margot Avey
7/8/2021

Location:Lake Harriet Trial Gardens in Minneapolis

bicolored striped sweat bee  
 

Alfredo Colon
6/8/2021

Location: Woodbury, Minnesota

bicolored striped sweat bee  
  Alfredo Colon
6/7/2021

Location: Woodbury, Minnesota

bicolored striped sweat bee  
  Evan Holmes
6/24/2018

Location: 1703 Saunders Ave St. Paul, Minnesota

Saw the metallic green bee on flowers in my front yard. On the right side in this photo.

bicolored striped sweat bee  
  Alfredo Colon
6/17/2018

Location: Woodbury, Minnesota

Very iridescent !

bicolored striped sweat bee  
  Sheryl Q
7/14/2016

Location: Ramsey

Have several of these bees every year in my gardens. I think they are beautiful. There were three on one plant! Notice the heavy load of pollen on the rear legs.

bicolored striped sweat bee  
  Justice Landscaping
6/23/2016

Location: Justice Landscaping

Found this odd looking nest appear overnight in my boulder garden.  I saw something inside and decided to video it to see what it was.  I've never seen this type of bee...it's beautiful.  

bicolored striped sweat bee  
  Sarah B
6/18/2016

Location: Hastings, MN

Found a nest in our back yard.

 
  kellylynn
9/25/2014

Location: Owatonna mn

they were all over my different asters as i have several different colors.  They were also in an out if the morning glories.  There were about 5 different bee species on my asters. Very beautiful green little bees.

 
  lilley
9/7/2014

Location: Fridley, MN

On the flowers of some Anise Hyssop

 
  Becca
6/21/2014

Location: Columbia Heights, MN

I've never seen a bee like this before but there have been a lot in my gardens this year. They really seem to like clover flowers and primroses

bicolored striped sweat bee  
  Ahme Bowen
9/12/2011

Location: Golden Valley

Hi.  I saw a few green bees (Agapostemon virescens) yesterday in my garden in Golden Valley

 
           
 
MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings
 
   

 

 

Binoculars


Last Updated:

About Us | Privacy Policy | Contact Us | © MinnesotaSeasons.com. All rights reserved.